Sony: Planetside 2 is 'Massively Multiplayer Halo' for PS4

As Sony Online Entertainment prepares to bring Planetside 2 from PC to PlayStation 4, president John Smedley has some ambitious goals for the online shooter -- namely, his team aims to attract an Xbox audience. “We believe that Planetside 2 is going to be the massively multiplayer Halo for PlayStation 4," Smedley told IGN. "So we want to bring a completely new kind of gameplay to a completely new audience.”

With that in mind, SOE doesn’t expect (or necessarily want) players who are cozy on PC to move over to PlayStation 4. The audiences will consume it in different ways, for one thing. Planetside 2 will see more updates on PC more regularly than it will on PS4, as well, so don't expect cross-platform play. Don't get your hopes up about character transfers, either. “We’re not going to launch with that,” said Smedley. “There have been some discussions going on around it, but it’s complicated.”

SOE's excitement lies with bringing thousands of players into a single game, which, in the case of Planetside 2, involves territorial control, a la Battlefield, wrapped in a Halo-esque sci-fi skin. The future of SOE, Smedley says, is in this sort of experience. “Being able to do real free to play? That’s monumental," he said. "I think it’s a very bright future.”

Look for more from SOE on IGN this week leading up to PlayStation 4's launch.